Supreme Taming Authority-Chapter 48: Four Spirits Sect?

The three of them moved forward together. They passed through the opening in the barrier, and Xian Tiandi felt a strange sensation wash over him. Like stepping through a curtain of water.

The world shifted.

Colors became more vivid. The air felt different, denser somehow. The spiritual energy concentration inside the barrier was significantly higher than outside.

And then Xian Tiandi understood.

"This isn’t just a barrier," he said quietly. "This is..."

"A secret realm," Elder Feng finished, his voice filled with shock. "A pocket dimension. The ruins were built on top of an entrance."

Secret realms were rare treasures in the cultivation world. Pocket dimensions created by ancient experts, filled with opportunities and dangers in equal measure.

They’d just stepped into one.

The doorway behind them sealed shut with a soft sound. The barrier reformed, trapping them inside with whatever waited ahead.

Elder Qiu’s expression was grim. "We’re committed now. No turning back."

Xian Tiandi’s hand pressed against his chest, feeling the frantic pulse of the tracking imprint. Yu’er was very close now. Somewhere deeper in this secret realm.

Fighting...or dying.

"Forward," he said simply.

The three of them moved deeper into the secret realm, toward the heart of the ruins where combat raged.

Toward Yu’er.

Toward whatever trap had been set.

And Xian Tiandi’s golden eyes burned with cold determination. In his past life, he’d been too weak to save her. Too insignificant to even know what happened until it was too late.

But not this time.

This time, he had power. Knowledge. And two Golden Core cultivators at his side.

This time, Yu’er would survive.

The ancient structures of the ruins loomed around them as they advanced, weathered stone walls covered in glowing script that pulsed with the realm’s energy.

The path ahead wound between collapsed buildings and overgrown courtyards.

And somewhere in the distance, the sound of battle echoed through the secret realm.

*Boom!*

An explosion lit up the sky ahead. Spiritual energy flashed like lightning.

Xian Tiandi broke into a run, Elder Feng and Elder Qiu keeping pace on either side.

....

The ruins stretched out before them, ancient and imposing. Stone structures rose from the ground like broken teeth, weathered by countless years but still standing.

Glowing script covered many of the walls, pulsing with the secret realm’s concentrated spiritual energy.

Xian Tiandi moved forward with purpose, Elder Feng and Elder Qiu flanking him on either side. The tracking imprint against his chest burned with urgent intensity.

Yu’er was close. Very close.

And she was in desperate danger.

They navigated between collapsed buildings and overgrown courtyards. The spiritual energy in this place was dense, almost oppressive. It felt ancient, like the realm itself had been sealed away for thousands of years.

*Boom!*

Another explosion echoed from somewhere ahead. The sound reverberated through the ruins, followed by the distinct clash of spiritual techniques colliding.

"This way," Elder Feng said, adjusting their course toward the source of the combat.

They rounded a massive pillar and emerged into a large open plaza. The scene that greeted them made Xian Tiandi’s blood run cold.

Xian Yu stood in the center of the plaza, surrounded by a shimmering golden barrier. The protective formation flickered weakly, clearly on the verge of collapse. Blood stained her robes. Her face was pale, exhausted.

Around her lay four bodies. Young cultivators in Four Symbols Sect robes, all motionless.

Dead.

And attacking her barrier were three figures.

Liu Qian stood to one side, his expression cold and calculating. His cultivation, previously displayed as early Golden Core Realm, now blazed openly. Peak Golden Core Realm.

But he wasn’t the only threat.

Two Golden Core cultivators stood at the front, both wearing Four Symbols Sect Outer Court Elder robes.

Their hands moved in synchronized patterns, channeling massive amounts of spiritual energy into devastating attacks against Yu’er’s barrier.

*Crash!*

Another wave of power slammed into the golden shield. Cracks spread across its surface like a spider’s web.

"Just give up, girl," one of the Golden Core elders said. His voice was cold, emotionless. "You can’t hold out much longer. Hand over the treasure and we might let you die quickly."

Xian Yu’s hands trembled as she maintained the barrier formation. "You killed them. All of them. My fellow disciples. You murdered them in cold blood."

"They were necessary sacrifices," the other Golden Core elder replied. "The Four Spirits Sect needs that treasure more than the Four Symbols Sect does. Your master, the sect leader, would never understand. She’s too bound by outdated morality."

"Four Spirits Sect?" Yu’er’s voice shook with disbelief. "That’s impossible. That sect was destroyed ten thousand years ago."

Liu Qian laughed. "Destroyed? No. We merely went into hiding after our founder’s betrayal failed. For ten thousand years, we’ve waited. Infiltrated. Prepared."

"The Four Spirits Sect was founded by the second disciple of your precious sect’s founder," the first elder continued. "After he saw the truth. After he understood that the path to true power requires sacrifice. Requires embracing what your sect calls evil."

"We’ve been inside your sect for generations," Liu Qian added. "Cultivating disciples. Placing elders. Waiting for the right moment to strike."

Xian Yu’s barrier flickered dangerously. "My master will find you. She’ll hunt you down and make you pay for this."

"Your master?" The second elder sneered. "She can’t even sense what’s happening here. This secret realm’s barrier was specifically designed to block her spiritual sense. By the time she realizes something is wrong, you’ll be dead and we’ll be long gone."

*Boom!*

Another synchronized attack hammered the barrier. This time, a visible crack split down the center.

"One more strike should do it," the first elder said with satisfaction.

Xian Yu’s face was pale, her spiritual energy nearly exhausted. But her eyes remained defiant. Her hand moved to a small jade pendant hanging from her neck.

"If I’m going to die," she said quietly. "I’m taking you with me."

Liu Qian’s expression shifted. "That’s the Sect Leader’s Guardian Seal! Stop her!"

The jade pendant began to glow. It was a dharma treasure, imbued with a portion of the sect leader’s power.

A last resort protection given to core disciples. If activated, it would unleash an attack beyond the Nascent Soul realm level.

Enough to kill everyone present, including Yu’er herself.

The two Golden Core elders immediately intensified their assault on the barrier. They had to break through and kill her before she could activate the seal.

*Crash! Crash! Crash!*

Waves of spiritual energy hammered the golden shield in rapid succession. The cracks spread wider. The barrier was seconds from complete collapse.

But Yu’er was faster. Her fingers closed around the pendant.

"Activate!" she shouted.